News & Updates

The DFOA area meeting tracking sheet has been posted. Use the drop down and click on the "Area Meeting Tracking" link. Reminder that in order to stay varsity eligible as well as playoff eligible, 5 meeting credits must be attained during the season. If 5 meeting credits are not attained, this will affect status for next season as well.

Also, the Demetriouisms for the first couple weeks have been posted. Please take time to review to see what issues have come up so far this season.

The list of 2017 Gold Official Nominations has been posted to the 2017 Gold Official Nominations page. These are the officials selected by the Area Directors to be nominated to potentially work the championship and semi-final games in 2017.

After discussion and revision, the Area Directors have voted to update the Policies and Procedures document. Most of the document is much as it was before, simply cleaned up and updated for the current officiating environment. A few changes of note:

All officials are highly encouraged to be registered with an ArbiterPay account. Most DFOA members probably already are, but note that more and more schools are paying only via ArbiterPay, and if you do not wish to use this tool, you will not be able to work games for schools that do.

Playoff requirements have been modified to be in line with current state requirements. Because championship assignments are no longer determined by the Area Directors, it was voted that Area Directors could be nominated for final and semifinal game (as "gold" officials, using the current state nomenclature).

To increase uniformity, it was clarified that officials working subvarsity games should wear black socks, and if shorts are worn they should be plain black coaching shorts.

Please view the new Policies and Procedures document on the Helpful Links & Resources page for full details on these and other changes. As always, feel free to discuss any questions with the Area Directors.

With the terms for Jim and Scott ending this year, two new Area Directors will be elected. The terms for these new ADs will begin Jan 1, 2018, and will run through 2018, 2019, and 2020.

Anyone interested in being considered for this should submit an Area Director Information Sheet to Scott Lewis (scottlewis.fb@gmail.com) no later than August 31. Speeches will be given at the area meeting on Tue Sept 12, and voting will open after that.

First, let me thank you for your patience, I understand that things are a little bit different, but I assure you that the end will be sooner than later. And trust me I am looking forward to that time also.

Here is where I need each of your help regarding your assignments.

Please do not accept any sub-varsity games as of yet. I know that there are games published. However, once you take a sub-varsity game at this time you have removed yourself from consideration for a Varsity assignment and I WILL NOT override the sub-varsity game and assign you to a varsity contest.

After taking the information from the surveys, the 2017 Mentor Training Groups have been assembled and put together. Please find the lists HERE, along with some frequently asked questions about them. If you have further questions, please feel free to contact the Area Directors!

Thanks to all those who have completed the survey so far. We have received surveys from approximately half the registered membership. If you have not yet filled out the survey, please do so as soon as possible. Those who do not do so may not be assigned to a group. These groups, while not associated with assigning, will still be invaluable for training and growth for all officials.

We are starting to get information for a few pre-season scrimmages. You can find details on the Scrimmages page. To sign up, use the registration link on the scrimmage, and contact the person listed in the scrimmage details. You can get a maximum of ONE meeting credit for off-season scrimmages. To get the credit, it must be a Varsity scrimmage, and you must have one person in the group submit a list of officials who participated in the scrimmage. Officials are encouraged to work the JV and Freshman scrimmages as well, however, to get additional snaps in.

Please make sure that the following is up to date effective June 1, 2017, as assignments will begin to be sorted out.

Blocks in place regarding dates that you cannot work.

Blocks for Conflict of Interest, Schools etc.

Make sure that your Picture has been uploaded into Arbiter. The photo must be a professional looking Head and shoulder shot that is identifiable. Preferably of Just YOU, the official. Make sure they are close up and identifiable, No Action Shots. Think of it as a resume shot for the job of a lifetime.

The following are examples of what it should look like.

And an example of one that is not acceptable (not close up):

If the requested information is not updated by June 1, 2017, you may be in jeopardy of not being assigned to varsity games in the initial draw process.